Dalvin Butler divides his time between teaching secondary school students in the Hawaii Department of Education and studying for his EdD at the University of Southern California. In the process of pursuing his doctorate, Dalvin Butler has conducted several research projects, including a systematic analysis examining learning gaps among English language learners.
In a February 2019 article, Language Magazine looked at the results of a recent federal report on English language learners (ELLs). Issued by the Office of English Language and Acquisition (OELA), the report found graduation rates among ELLs rose by 10 percent from 2010-11 to 2015-16. While encouraging, these rates unfortunately still lag 17 percentage points behind non-ELLs, who graduate at a rate of 84 percent.
Digging deeper into the data, OELA noted that while ELL’s proficiency in math exceeds their proficiency in reading, close to half of US states saw declines in math proficiency among ELLs from 2009 to 2017. Although the information provided in the OELA report is interesting, the data ultimately points to the need for research and development to find solutions that better support ELL learning.
